Chemigation
The Nebraska Chemigation Act was adopted by the Legislature in 1986. The program provides the Natural Resources District and the Department of Environmental Quality the authority to document, monitor, regulate and enforce chemigation practices in Nebraska. The Act requires NRD's to inspect Chemigation safety, equipment and issue permits to potential chemigators or applicators.
What is Chemigation?
It is the application of any chemical, fertilizer or pesticide through a producers irrigation system. To legally chemigate in the District an operator must be certified to apply chemicals and obtain a chemigation permit from the Little Blue NRD. In order to be certified a person must complete a chemigation safety course and pass an exam every four years. Producers planning to chemigate during the growing season must renew chemigation permits by June 1st of each year.
Facts
- Chemigation renewal permits cost $10 and must be submitted to the Little Blue NRD office by June 1 of each year. An irrigation system that has not been renewed prior to the June 1st deadline cannot apply chemicals through the system until a new permit is obtained
- New permits, which can be obtained from the NRD, cost $30. The applicant cannot use the system until it passes a mandatory inspection by the District Staff.
- An inspection for a renewal permit is not rquired, however, random chemigation inspections are required by state law and are conducted throughtout the season.
- If chemigating is necessary on short notice, emergency permits can be obtained at a cost of $100.
Required Equipment for Chemigation
- Irrigation pipeline check valve
- Vacuum relief valve
- Inspection port
- Low pressure drain
- Chemical injector check valve
- Simultaneous interlock device
Little Blue NRD Groundwater Rules and Regulations
Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Fact Sheet